'White Knight' takeover for Bradford & Bingley unlikely, say analysts

Embattled buy-to-let specialist Bradford & Bingley's prospects as a standalone lender are looking bleak, City analysts warned today.

Jonathan Pierce, at Credit Suisse, said B&B's higher-than-average mortgage arrears rates and exposure to falling house prices meant the chances of any bigger bank playing a willing "white knight" takeover role was unlikely.